


Untitled

by EstyFur



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Boypussy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 23:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12971208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstyFur/pseuds/EstyFur
Summary: It might paint him as a simple omega, but he didn't care. He didn't want any riches, or a high position in their village, or a dashing handsome prince sweeping him from his feet. All he want is just a honest love, nothing more.





	Untitled

I's all started after he got his first courses after his 12th summer, he still feel sore after four days enduring an agonizing stomach cramp, and he still feeling a little bit weirded by the amout of blood his private can produce. He go to the hearth that morning, feeling a little bit winded but still feeling a lot cheerful, knowing all the cramp already going away, and he will be able to start helping his parents in the farm again as usual.

  
He already starting tp prepare the oat poridge and just waiting for the water he will use to make the tea to boil when his mother emerging from his parents small bedroom.

Her eyes land on him and then her eyes started to clouded, as if she is in the verge from crying. He look at her weirdly.

  
"Mum?"

  
She open her mouth as if she want to says something, but then she reign herself and smile hesistatingly at him.

  
"Morning lamb, are you done with your course?" He blush at her frank word, but then he nod.

  
"I don't know it could be so painfull" he mumble shyly. But then his mother chuckling at his blush and start to rufling his unruly hair.

  
"Give it a few month, and you will be used to them. Soon, you will be able to ignore the pain." He nodded his head, and start to dividing the poridge evenly in the bowl when heard his father cart arriving from picking the herb they usualy sold to the local midwife.

His father always going to the forest before the sun rises to pick the herb, going back home for breakfast, and then their family will be going to the their small land in the back of their small house where they tend to their vegetable farm.

  
Their live could be difficult sometimes, when their farm is not producing enough. Or if the winter is particularly hard, and long. Forcing them to be careful with their meal, and sometimes they have to go to bed with only a small meal, afraid that they won't have enough on the morrow. But his parents is honest people, even if a little bit simple. They love each other and their children, and merlin can't imagine for wanting another life beside this content life he is living.

  
Sometimes when he is younger, he is imagining himself marying someone just like his father. He never fancying with imagination that someday he will marrying to a wealthy merchant from the neighbouring town closer to the citadel, or to the one of the handsome son of the elder in the vilage council like so many of his omega friend. He didn't want that. He didn't want to imagining a fairytale so high, far away from his reach. All he want is just a quite fulfilling life, just like what his parents have.

  
It might paint him as a simple omega, but he didn't care. He didn't want any riches, or a high position in their village, or a dashing handsome prince sweeping hm from his feet. All he want is just a honest love, nothing more.

  
"Merlin, lamb." He is broken from his reverie by his mother gentle hand in his shoulder.

She look at him with a gentle smile. "Go wake your sister."

  
===

  
He feels like his parents is hiding something from him, sometimes when they think he didn't know or having his atention on something else they look at him with a troubled eyes. And sometimes at night, when his mother think he is already sleeping soundly, she speed a long time to brush his hair and mumbling sweet promise and apology toward him.

  
And sometimes, when freya his little sister is begging him to be taken to the village market, his mother will panicking and try to discourage them or just simply giving them more task to do, so they won't be able to get to the market that day.

  
Merlin didn't know what the problem is, it's not like he didn't know how to take cake of himself and his sister in the market. He is already doing the shopping for his family and taking freya to look around in the village market since he is just in his eight summer. But he didn't dare to voicing his tough to his parents, opting to believing it is just temporary panic, since their first child is now can be considered an adult.

  
And maybe, it's just his parents way to protect him from one or two alpha boy that will try to flirt their way to merlin.

  
===

  
In his fourteenth summer, small gift start to appearing in their doorstep, sometime it's just a bundle of wild flower, sometimes it is the expensive sweet soft bread from Mrs. Winson bakery, and sometimes it is a soft fabric that can't be mistaken as anything but an expensive material.

  
Merlin feeling flatered, someone is fancying him enough to take efort and giving him an expensive gift. But then when he show the gift to his parents, his mother is looking a them with dread, and his father is just simply turning away with something like an anger in his eyes.

  
Merlin then put the gift away, and didn't dare to bring the gift to his parents attention again.

  
===

  
At his sixteenth summer, the village chief, Aulfric, an elderly alpha with a sly nature and a cold eyes start to aproach him with an intention to make merlin his fifth wife. He also told merlin that it is him that has been leaving all those give in his doorstep. as a courting gift he said.

  
He didn't ask merlin to be his wife, he demand it. As a payment for the kindness and the protection towards his family he says.

  
Merlin didnt know what to feel, he is feeling nauseous. Aulfric is so much older than his father, his youngest son is one of merlin friend when he is still a child.

  
He is going home with a dazed look, he then look for his mother in her room. With one look at him, hunith face is falling, and her eyes start to glazed with unspilled tears.

  
"Oh, lamb."

  
Merlin throw himself at his mother, feeling shaky and wrong footed. He didn't know what to feel, he is confused, and afraid.

  
"You already know,... you know" he feel his mother nodding above his head, hunith then start petting his head, as if he is still a small child.

  
"He aproach us at your twelfth summer, when he heard you just got your first course."

Merlin gasp at his mother word, somehow feeling more nauseous than before.

  
"We tried to say no, but he start to treatening your father. He really intent to make you his fifth wife." Merlin shake his head in disbelief, Aulfric is so old, he already have a few grandchild running around their village. How can the man still thinking to take another wife? And someone so young like merlin, someone that is more appropriateas to be his grandson?

  
Merlin know that their family is poor, and Aulfric is someone that is the most powerful in their village, they didn't stand against him if Aulfric is starting to take his threat against his father seriously. And merlin know, the chief is always taking his threat seriously, no one dare to go against the old chief.

  
"Mum,... i don't want to marry him" he whisper at his mother, burrying his face in her shoulder. His body is shaking with dread, and his mother didn't say anything at all for a moment before merlin Heard a shaking snifle, and his mother start to shake him.

  
"Oh lamb,.... i'm sorry.... so sorry."

  
===

  
His father is sick, catching a cold just like a few other people in their village. So merlin and freya voluntering themself to pick the early morning herb, replacing their father.

  
Their mother is reluctand in giving them her approval, but she herself can't go, because she didm't have the knowledge in the herb picking, but her childs is. And they can't afford to miss to sell the herb to the village midwive, because nowadays it is their main income, with their field producing so little vegetable, and what they manage to produce sometime can't be sold to the market. The vendor they usualy sell their vegetable is refusing to accept their produce anymore.

  
Merlin and his parents know the reason behind that, but they keep quite about it.

  
It is almost a month after merlin is aproached by Aulfric, and everyday since then he is actively avoiding the old chief. And ever since then Aulfric make sure to make his family life harder by the day. Giving barely concealed threat and pressure to his parents.

  
Sometimes merlin is tempted to just saying yes to the old man already. But every time he is revealing his thought to his parents, his father is adampt that merlin is not to accept Aulfric offer, that he is not obligated to obbeying the old man demand.

  
But it is hard for merlin to see his family suffering the village chief pressure just because of him.

  
"Merlin,..." he look at his sister innocent face, and his heart is suddenly clenching remembering that it is not only his parents that bearing the burn from Aulfric pressure to his family.

  
Lately freya have becoming the village maiden bullying target. with sophia, Aulfric daughter from his second wife as the leader.

  
"Yea?"

  
"Is there something father and mother hiding from me? I know that you know about it too..."

  
"Fre..."

  
"Please don't lie to me merlin. We never lied to each other before, right?"

  
He look at the herb in his hands, refusing to face his sister. He know that if he is looking at freya, sooner or latter he will cave and tell his sister about it all. He didn't want freya to be dragged in his problem too.

  
"I... there is some problem, but you don't have to be worried about it. It will pass soon"

  
Freya is looking at him doubtfully, but then she just sighing and shake her head in dissapointment.

  
"Merlin..."

  
"Please sister,... it is nothing"

  
With that, he start to pick another herb, signaling to his sister that he is done with their conversation.

  
===

  
When they are back from to the forest, there is commotion in the village. He and freya looking at each other, he take his sister hand then approaching the center of the crowd.

  
"What is wrong?" Freya is asking the smith wife, she is in the middle of a whispery gossip with the inn's cook.

  
"There is camelot's knights arriving just before the sun rise this morning. They are asking for a space in the village edge to build their camp."

  
"What for?" This time it is merlin that asking her in curriousity.

  
"No idea. Said they are here to protect the village from rampaging bandit. But we are not under camelot protection right? So maybe that in untrue."

  
"Huh?"

  
"I won't believe them easily. Aftet all, camelot is not in a good term with essetir." She continued, encourage by the humming noise her friend released.

  
"That is true, maybe they are here to take over this village from essetir. After all, we are just a small village in the kingdom border."

  
Merlin tried to look past the person in front of him, trying to catch a sight of some of the knight in the center of the crowd. But all he can see is just a glimpse of a red cape and a gold simbol painted to the red cape.

  
"But there is also talk from the town nearby, that there is a vicious band of bandit running around this area stealing anything valuable and leaving rapped maiden and omegas in their trail. So i won't be quick to doubt the knights". the inn keeper cut in from behind the cook.

  
" how do you know?" The cook say testily.

  
"My brother is just coming back from Engerd, and he said this particular bandit is very vicious."

  
The cook is looking like she is about to replied to the inn keeper, and merlin think she is just second away from uttering curse word toward the in keeper, for just the sake of it.

  
"Uuh... i think what ever the circumtance is, it is nice of camelot to send their knight to protect us."

  
Merlin then tug his sister away from the crowd, and hurried her away towards the midwive hut.

  
A few days latter, merlin already forgetting about the knight, since he never see any of the knight wandering around the village, as far as merlin know the knight is keeping to themself in their camp.

  
So it is a shock to him, when he is suddenly crossing path with one of them whe he is in the middle of his herb picking.

  
He is covering for his father again that day, since he is still sick and his mother is busy taking care of his father and tending to their farm. And he is all alone in the herb picking, since freya is also busy the day before because she started her apprentice with annis, the midwive. His sister look so tired this morning in Her sleep, merlin just didn't have the heart to wake her up.

  
"What are you doing here?"

  
Merlin is turning around so fast he is almost tripping by his own feet, His heart was racing with surprise at the knight's voice.The knight is snorting, no doubt he is laughing at merlin's clumsiness.

  
"Well?" The knight is urging him, impatient by merlin slow response.

  
"Uhh.. i just doing some herb picking, sire."

  
" this early in the morning?" The knight looking at his almost full basket with raised eyebrow.

  
"The herb i pick is best picked in the morning, before the sun rise sire."

  
"I see... but i think it is best if you stop picking the herb in this area for a while. This place might not be safe for now."

  
Merlin start to protest, he is not obligated to obeying the knight order. But the knight shut him up with one glare.

  
"Uuh..."

  
"I think you have enough herb already. Go back to the village boy."

  
Merlin want to protest again, but the knight continued glare make him to keep his mouth shut. The knight gesture him to hurried up, and merlin reluctantly obeying the knight word. If it is only to escaping the knight intense glare.

  
"Hurry up boy, and watch you feet, least you trip yourself to death this time."

  
Merlin start to turn around to glare at the knight, but it seem like his glare didn't have that much effect to the knight, he even look at merlin like merlin is some kind of jockster atempting at unfunny joke.

  
"What a prat" merlin whisper loudly.

  
===

  
The next day, merlin is arguing loudly with roland, a middle age omega that usualy buying their produce for his vendor in the market. Merlin is furious that roland is demanding to buy his vegetables with a cheaper price than usual. Their family is already in dificult sitiation what with his father continuos sickness, and their dificulty to sell their vegetables, the only steady income they have is only from the herb that they sell to the local midwive, and even that is not enough to feed all of them.

  
"Please roland, i don't ask for much. Just... please give me reasonable price, at least the same price that you usually give to my father." Merlin is not above begging to the man, as long as he can get more from the deal.

  
" and i told you boy, that is a reasonable price. If you dont want to sell your vegetables in that price, then don't sell it at all. You know i'm the only one who want to buy them from you."

  
Merlin swallow the less than polite reply he is about to say to the man. Because no matter he say, roland is right, no one want to buy things from their family again, and merlin know why.

  
As long as he keep dodging the village chief offer for marriage, their family will be in a tight place, an sooner or latter they will be sqished in poverty.

  
Day by day, Aulfric make sure to make his threat toward his father true. He keep merlins family in a tough condition, slowly they became the black sheep in their village. Every one now know why they are pushed arround by the chief and why his family life becoming hard now.

  
But no one dare to help them, no one dare to talk about it to them, afraid that they too will become the villace chief target, after all, they too have their own family to protect.

  
Merlin sigh in defeat, knowing no matter how hard he is arguing with roland for a better price, the man wont budge. No doubt he is being instructed not to give a fair price to merlin by Aulfric.

  
"Okay then,.. i will take that price."

  
Roland look at his defeated frown for a minute before he give merlin ten silver coins.

Merlin then look at roland in shock, and about to say something, when the man shut him up with a look.

  
"Now you have your payment, go. I don't have all day to chat with you." Merlin is still gaping at roland for a moment before he nod his heand and give the man a grateful smile.

  
"Thank you."

  
Merlin took a hurried step toward his home, clutching the coins in a death grip. His head already planing the next thing he need to do, things to buy for his parents and sister meal, and potion for his father high fever.

  
When he show up in their home with things he manage to purchase fron the coins, his mother is mending one of freya apron, near the only window in the house for a better light, his sister is no where in sight, probably still doing her duty as annis apprentice, and his father is lying in the open space beside their fireplace, for a better heat. Because nowadays sometime in a random times his father will fell cold, even if his body is burning, and all the blanket they own is not enought to warm him.

  
"What is that merlin?" His mother looking at the vial in his hand, he carefully place the vial in the table together with the oats he purchase for their meals.

  
"Medicine, for father."

  
"What?.. but lamb, we..." his mother looking troubled for a moment, before setting her work aside and aproaching him carefully.

  
"Lamb, i know we don't have the money to buy any medicine from annis. So please tell me, that medicine is not... not from.." _Aulfric_.

  
Because, they can't accept anything from the chief anymore, least he demand merlin to marry him in fortnight in return for his help.

  
"No.. no mum. It's roland."

  
His mother is looking at him in confusion.

"Roland?"

  
"Yes, this morning. I came to his stall in the market, to sell our vegetables to him, and as usual latelt he only want to pay half from the usual price, he say i have to accept five coins or nothing at all. And when i finally say yes, he gave me ten mum, ten!"

  
"But..." his mother start to say, but merlin cut her quckly.

  
"He know mum, he know. And he still help us..." there is tears in his mother eyes. And she huriedly hug him, tucking his head in the crock of ther neck.

  
"That foolish man, he will be in so much trouble if Aulfric find out about it."

  
"Then we just have to shut our mouth real tight, he have been so kind. I really hate to give him trouble after he help us like this."

  
His mother is looking at him fondly, and about to say something when there is a knock in their door.

  
His mother signaling that she will be the one to open the door, so merlin make his way toward his fatjer. Checking his temperature and smiling at him when he open his eyes and touch his cheek gently.

  
"Hunith, it is nice to see you well. I came to check on balinor, how is he?"

  
Merlin feel as if his stomach dropping to the floor when he heard the voice.

  
"Sire, he is as well as before. He will be well and about in no time at all, thank you for asking." He is about tp approach his mother when his father take his hand with a gentle tug. He look at his father questioningly, and balinor just shaking his head weakly, tugging at his hand again, forcing merlin to sit still beside his father.

  
There is a few tense silence after that, and merlin unconsiously holding his breath, hoping quitely that Aulfric just gone already.

  
"Don't you want to invite me in hunith?"

  
There is another tense silence after that, showing hunith reluctant to let the elder man inside their home.

  
"I see..., i understand. Just remember this hunith, you don't have to live like this, just give your son to me, and you will have a better life than this."

  
"Merlin is not a tradable item, he is my son, a person with feelings....sire"

  
"Of course, of course,... and you really did a good job raising him, for him turning as fine as that." There is a goosebump along his back, it feel so wrong to hear the compliment from Aulfric mouth.

  
"Excuse me?" Merlin can practically hear the anger in his mother voice.

  
"Well... Maybe I should go now, and let you be, yeah?"

  
"Yes"

  
There is a few moment of silence after that, and merlin start to think that Aulfric already gone,

  
"And hunith? Remember, if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesistate to tell me. I will gladly help you."

  
"Thank you.... sire."

  
Merlin is swallowing thickly, feeling so sick all of sudden by the reminder that all they are doing is just delaying the inevitable.

  
When his mother return to her seat, merlin is swallowing the bile in his throat. Trying to find a way, to say the word.

  
"Mum... i think... maybe.." he tried to say the word, but he cant find the right word in his mouth.

  
"Don'. Say. It" she hut him up with a look.

  
"But mum..."

  
"No merlin." This time it was his father that cutting his word with a determined look in his eyes.

  
"I can't let that snake put his hands on you. I can't let you have that fate, seeing you miserable. And i know, marrying him will only make you miserable."

  
"But... he is so old already,.. maybe it is not going for too long. Maybe in a few years he will be dead, and then i will be free."

  
"Before the old snake dead, you will be so miserable in his house that you will be wishing for death. Don't think i didn't know how his wives and child have been treating you and your sister all this time. They will make you miserable there, and i don't have the hearth to see you like that."

  
"Oh lamb, the entire village know about the chief wives, they are vicious and bitter woman. They have been giving you a hard time before, and i think their treatment to you will not going to stop when you married to their husband, i think it will only make it worse Lamb,..."

  
"But mother... i just can't see you and even freya affected by my desicion. I just didn't want to make your life difficult."

  
"Merlin, don't wear yourself with worrying to much. This will pass soon. believe me"

  
"When?"

  
"When you finally found yourself a husband. Then the old snake will have no choice except to let his desire to marry you go."

  
"But how? No alpha want to look at me now when they know Aulfric have been setting his eyes on me,let alone courting me."

  
"There will always be a way."

  
"You will find someone soon, believe me."

  
===

  
"I thought I'd told you not to come here anymore?"

  
Merlin almost jump on his skin when someone suddenly appearing behind him. He glare at the knight and releasing a soft huff when the knight only look at him with raised eyebrow.

  
"Look... i need to do this alright. I don't neet to explain myself to you, but... just let do my bussines quckly. And i will be gone as soon as i'm done."

  
Merlin look at the herb in his basket, barely filled even if he already spent almost an hour looking gor them. Merlin even daring himself in looking the herb in a deeper part of the forest, hoping he will find another fresh patch of the herb he was looking for, but he seems out of luck.

  
He sigh mourfully, thinking that today he can't sell anything to the midwive.

  
He startled again when a gloved hand reach to his basket and jerk then from his hand. He want to protest, but the word is dying in his mouth when he see the solemn look in the knight face.

"What a stubborn little shit."

  
"Why you..."

  
"No matter. Come with me, you won't find anything in here, You may have plucked them out already."

  
The knight then turn his back to merlin and start walking deeper to the forest.

  
===

  
The next day merlin is trying to block the flash from yesterday memory from his mind, working quitely side by side with his sister, plucking a small blue flower delicately, the flower is not one of the herb he ususally loking for, it is useless as far as merlin know, but he pick it anyway, just to take a whif from the faint sweet smell and taking it home, to present to his father, to make his mood better.

  
_"You can drag your feet all you want merlin, but we know sooner or latter you will say yes to my offer right?_

  
He shudder from the memory of a rough hand holding his waist in place, and hot foul breath ghosting his neck.

  
_"After all, no one here can help you with your situation but me."_

  
He swallow the bitter taste in his mouth from the memory and smiling at his sister with a small smile that feel more like a grimace when freya looking at him questioningly.

  
Thats when he heard a crunch of a dead leaf, snapping under the weigh of a heavy boots. He look at his back, just in time to se a flas of a familiar red cape and blonde head.

  
"Hello." He greet the knight with a cheerfull smile.

  
The knight seems caught on guard, and greet him with a hesistant nod, glancing at his sister questioningly.

  
"This is my sistes, i told her about your warning from before, and she offer to help me so we can pick the herb faster."

  
He hid the truth that he is more afraid to be ambushed by Aulfric in his way to the forest more than the possibility to be attacked by the unknown bandit as the reason behind his acceptance to his sister offer today.

  
The knight nod at his sister too, and then returning his attention to him again, he look at merlin with something close like an approval.

  
"I see,.. It's good to know that you are not as idiot and stubborn as you first appear." The knight is smirking at his spluttering reply.

  
"Hey!"

  
"Thank god."

  
He want to throw a big rock at the kning face, ans see if the arogan bastard can still smirk at him like that again, but his sister giggle stop him jut in time. God know what kind of trouble can finding him if he did just that.

  
"What?" He look at freya, but his sister just hid her smile behind her cupped hands and shake her head.

  
"Nothing."

  
He want to call at his sister lie, but the the knight clearing his throat, interupting them.

  
"Then i suppose i can leave both of you to the picking? I will leave you both and watch your back, just dont take to long, and come back to the village as soon as you are done."

  
"Yes, thank you"

  
They watch the knight back and merlin start to play with the forgotten flower in his lap with a tired sight when his sister snort got his attention.

  
"What?"

  
"Nothing." He didn't like the cheky note in his sister voice, at all.

  
"What?"

  
"Really, it's nothing... just, i think someone got a crush on a certain knight"

  
"I'm not crushing on him!" Merlin replied quckly.

  
"I never said it was you."

  
"What?" He look at his sister in horror. "You are crushing at him?" Something feel uncomfortable in his stomatch at that image.

  
"Well... i think it will be hard to resist, with all that blond hair, that face, that really atractive face and his build. The sir knight painting a really nice figure, it will be hard not to like him."

  
Merlin frown at his sister and looking back at the way where the knight is disapearing from them a while back. Merlin can admit that the knight is atractive to the eye, more atractive that the young alphas in their village, but his personality is just to arrogant for merlin.

  
"He is a prat, no matter how nice looking you think he is, he still a pratt. You shouldn't like him."

  
He say weakly at his sister, but freya just smirk at him knowingly.

  
He ignore his sister all day after that, but freya just smirk at him with that all too knowing eyes and giggling at his retreating back. Iritating merlin to no end that day.

  
====

  
He meet the knight again the next day in the forest, and the day next, and the day after that. This continued for another week. They never talk much, the knight just start helping him wordlessly and sometimes, when the spot merlin usually pick his herb is thinning, the knight leading him again to another place with a better chance.

  
Merlin is not bothering much by the silence, it is actually feel nice for his addled mind, with the increasing frequency of Aulfric approach toward him, showing unanounced at his house all the time with increasing dangerous glint in his eyes. His sister becoming quiter everyday, and merlin think it have something to do with certain someone daughter. He want to help his sister, but everytime he got to her, either she is already alone or her bullies is playing stupid and innocent it will make him look stupid for accusing them of violence.

  
And it didn't help that Aulfric is always watching him all the time, waiting for him to be alone again, so the old alpha can cornering him again.

  
More over, day after day his father is getting worse, sometime his father is so delirious he didn't even realize that he is sleeping for hours, and sometimes he is so weak he even didn't have the strenght to swallow his food.

  
"Hey,... i think we have enough already." The knight voice is bringing him back from his reverie. He look at his full basket and then he nod with agreement. He stod slowly and then start walking dazedly towatd the direction where they first come from. Merlin is startled when a strong gloved hand is holding his hand gently.

  
"Hey, are you okay?"

  
He look at the knight, but his mind is racing, and thinking about his father, his mother, his sister, and the question whether they can hold this far much longer, or is merlin just have to give up in dodging Aulfric approach already and ignoring his parents warning. At least, if he married the chief, there is a possibilities his sister won't be bullied by the man's daughter anymore, and he will have enough money to buy medicine for his father.  
A small tug in his hand make merlin start to refocusing his mind again at the moment.

The knight is looking at him with a frown, his eye is staring at merlin with a worriend look and a little bit hint of annoyance.

  
"I'm fine,... i will be fine. Just,.." merlin is looking at the knight eyes, before today he never even noticed that the knight have the same blue eyes with him, maybe a litle bit lighter, but there is a depth in them that merlin failed to decipher.

  
"I... thank you, really. You have been so kind to me" the knight is still looking at him worriedly when merlin start to make his way back toward the village.

  
"Hey."

  
Merlin look athe the knight questioningly, surprised that the knight is still there. When usually he is already gone when merlin make his way back toward the village.

  
"Yea?"

  
"I will see you again tomorrow right?"

  
Merlin is looking at the knight for a long time, tring to figuring why he ask merlin that question, when usually they part ways without exchanging word to each other at all.

  
"Of course"

  
Merlin might be mistaken, but for a moment there, the knight look relieved for a second hearing his replies.

  
====

  
That night sleep is not coming to merlin easily, he keep tossing and turning in his bed, beside him his sister is sleeping peacefully, tired after the day long working in the healer hut.

  
Something is nagging at his mind, but merlin can't really say what it is. After hours of turning and tossing, sleep slowly start to approach him, his eyes is dropping with drowsiness, then something is startling him awake.

  
He stay still for a moment, trying to pinpoint what it is that got him awake all of sudden.

And then, slowly, when he regain his consiousness he can hear the start of commotion. There is a loud clatter, horse hoof, and someone is screaming in fright.  
Merlin then rousing his sister awake, shaking her in urgency because he can hear a loud horse hoof aproaching toward their house.

  
He walk hurriedly toward the front door when his sister catch his hand, and shaking her head with fear in her eyes.

  
"Look after mother and father, i will be back soon."

  
He didnt even think on putting heavier clothes to cover his nightshirt, he just open the door without thinking and coming face to face with the chaos that once is a peacefull village.

  
There is men and women, running around, behind them a dirty and crazied looking men is chasing them with weapon in their hand. Children is huddling closer together in a dark nook, tring to be invisible to the passing eyes. There is a house burning, and the flame is quicly spreading to another house, the fire rapidly spreading without no one stopping them.

  
Merlin then realise that this is the bandits that the knight is talking about. He is turning around and hastily making his way toward his own house again, mind racing with worry and the determination to get his family to safety, when suddenly there is a hand grabbing him from behind.

  
He want to scream, but another hand is covering his mouth, blocking any sound trying to escape from them.

  
"Shut up, you _bitch_. Come with me."

  
A familiar voice is talking behind his ears, and then he is being dragged to the nearest building. The blacksmith workplace. He triend to struggle, but then the hand covering his mouth is replacing themself in his neck, squezing the breath out of him.

  
"Stop struggling, or i broke your neck!"

  
Merlin is still trying to struggle when they come to the pile of a dry straw. His captor the throwing him carelessly on top of the pile, and hurriedly going on top of him when he see merlin is about to escape him.

  
"Let me go! Let me go!!" He thrash under the heavy body, trying to disloge the man above him.

  
"Shut up!" His captor then struck him on the face hard, making merlin seeing stars behind his eyes. His left cheek is throbbing by the intens pain.

  
His body going limp, and his captor is using the chance to rip merlin clothes in the neck, exposing his small omega breast and torso.

His privates is just few centimeter only to be exposed to the night air.

  
When merlin regaining his consiousness and strengh again, his captor is facing him, trying to take his manhood out of his pants hastily. Merlin is furious, but not suprised at all to see that Aulfric is turn to be his captor.

  
Merlin start to struggle again and this time manage to land a blow toward Aulfric's face when the old alpha is distracted by merlin exposed navel.

  
But any sastification he felt toward that one blow is short lived because second latter the man face is morphed into an ugly outrage expression.

  
"you _bitch_!" This time the blow come from the other side, and pain bloming on merlin right cheek.

  
"Playing hard to get, you should just say yes when i still play nice to you." Aulfric is trying to shove his legs apart and get between them. But merlin is making it hard by keep trashing with what little strenght he have left.

  
Aulfric then grab at his head and slam it hard against the wall behind him, and with the pain merlin feel behind his head his consciousness is start to slip from his grasp. There is hand feeling his thigh and lips kissing his breast. But merlin didn't have any strenght left to give resistance to Aulfric touch. There is wetness in his eyelashes and cheek, but merlin didn't even realize that he is crying.

  
He shout for help, but the noises around them is drowning his voices.

  
He don't want this, merlin think.

  
He didn't want to lose his virginity in this way.

  
He start to close his eyes, resigned to his fate.

  
Then the weight above him is gone, there is an outrage scream, thump and bump from things hitting orher things and a wet noise, a wet splutter following after. And then someone is toching him genly, calling for him.

  
"Hey.. wake up... come one, wake up" a coarse leather is slapping at his cheek gently, careful not to hurt his cheek anymore than nesessary.

  
The pain from his head is bringing him to

awareness again when his body is moved. He tried to open his eyes, but it feel so heavy and the pain behind his head is not helping at all.

  
He is aware that he is being moved around and someone is carrying him carefully, but he can't think behind the throbbing pain in his head.

  
He is mumbling a word that he himself didn't even aware of the mean. But the one carrying him stop moving for a moment as if trying to consentrate and hear what he is trying to say.

  
"Dont worry,... everyone is safe. Your family is safe."

  
As if reasured by the word merlin let himself succumb to the lul of unconsiousness, even in the pain he is feeling merlin didn't even understand the meaning.

  
===

  
He wake up a few times after that, and someone is always with him, placing wet clothes on his head, touching his hand, and caressing his cheek where the pain is flarring once in a while, waking him from his deep slumber.

  
===

  
He wake up grogily, this time he manage to stay awake long enough to notice that he is sleeping on his own bed, and his sister is puttering around the room, putting things and folding clothes carefully.

  
"Uunghh..." he grunted, the only noises he can produce from hi dry throat.

  
"Merlin!" In second his sister is holding his hand carefully and showering his forehead and nose small kisses. And not long after that, his mother is there, standing in his bedroom doorway, hand covering her mouth and tears in her eyes.

  
"Merlin! Oh,.. lamb."

  
Her mother is hugging him, causing small prickling pains going trough his entire body, but he keep his mouth shut, didnt want to cause any additional worry toward his family.

  
"I start to think you won't ever wake up!" His sister says, smiling with happiness in her eyes.

  
"We are so worried about you."

  
He want to replied, but his dry throat prevent him from saying anything. Then he realize that he is thirsty, really thirsty.

  
"Watr.."

  
His sister give him a shepish look and took a cup of water from his bedside. "Here."

  
He swallow the water greedily, only stopping when he reach the bottom of the cup.

  
He feel small relief from the water, and smile reasuringly at his mother worried look.

  
"Father?"

  
"Is well, and fast approaching recovery. We are all fine lamb, don't worry."

  
"Good." He feel drowsy again, and soon feeling himself lossbin ahze of sleep. The last thing he heard is his mother gentle voice, telling him everything will be alright.

  
"Sleep my little lamb, we all will be here when you wake up."

  
===

  
The next time he wake up his sister is sleeping beside him, and he notice that the clothes he is wearing is feeling lighter than the one he is wearing before. Someone have change his clothes, and there is a flowery smell coming from his bedside. He move his head a little when he think he won't fell any pain from the movement, and see a small bunch of wild flower is placed in the small table in his bedside, along with a cup of water.

  
He look for a long time at the small blue flower, before he is overcome with the desire to touch them. He strech his left hand, and bile rushing in his mouth when he notice dark purplish mark in his wrist. Memory of how he get the mark is rushing to his forefront mind.  
He ignore them and strech his hand until his fingertips is touching the velvety texture of the flower petals.

  
"They are for you."

  
He is startled by his sister voice, he look at freya and his sister is just smiling softly at him.

  
"From your knight."

  
He want to ask who she meant, but they both know who is the one freya talking about.

  
"Why?"

  
Freya is looking weirdly at him, but then she look at him in disbelief, and shake her head.

  
"I dont know, maybe you can ask that to him when he come again to see you tomorrow."

  
"Huh?"

  
"He come here to see you everyday merlin, and every time he come he only sit beside you the whole time, as if he is thinking of a hard matter."

  
"I.. don't understand..."

  
Freya looking at him for a long time, "merlin... do you know who is the one brough you home that... that.. night?"

  
She look at his eyes seriously, and merlin's hand instantly touching at his cheek, where he know a bruises is bloomin. But, more over he vaguely remember someone other than Aulfric is touching him there that night, to wake him up, gently.

  
"I don't know."

  
"It is your knight."

  
He look at his sister serious eyes, shocked beyond believe. Then a moment latter he feel ashamed, certain that the knight must see how exposed he is that night, how furnerable, how helpless.

  
He is shaking before he know it, and moment latter his sister's arm is hugging him, and she is shushing him gently as if she is calming an infant.

  
"I'm sorry... i'm sorry to remind you of that..."

  
When he calm down again, his sister is combing her finger in his hair, and they are on their side, facing each orher.

  
"Sleep merlin...you need them."

  
And he close his eyes and sleep, dreaming about red capes, blond hair, and a gentle hand in his cheek.

  
===

  
He is already awake for a few hours that morning, chatting with his mother about his father healt and their village current condition. Apparently, the bandit is able to do the damage they are doing because there is traitor in their village, selling information about the village weak point and the knights camp whereabout to the bandits.

  
Merlin wondeing aloud then, what the bandit possibly see in their village, because they are just a small buch of farmers and quite a poor one at that, the only one who have enough significant money is the chief village.

  
Apparently, what the bandit was looking for is not money, or finery. But omegas and beta women to be sold into slavery.

  
Merlin is glad the bandit is already taken care of and won't be causing another havoc again, and apparently their leader is killed by one of the knight when he raid one of the house.

  
Then his sister is entering his room, looking slighty smug and smiling broadly at him. His mother look at his sister asking silently what is going on, but freya only response is a giggle. But somehow his mother understand what his sister means and shaking her head once then leaving the room after giving merlin a kiss on his forehead, taking his sister with her.

  
A moment latter merlin know why his sister giggled like that, when the knight is entering his room, flustered and clutching a small bundle of wild flower in his gloved hand.

  
He look nervous, the knight. And in return merlin is feeling nervous too,consious of his appearance, still sleep rumpled and bruised.

  
"Hi."

  
The knight say shyly, walking slowly toward him.

  
"Hello."

  
There is an awkward pause after that, neither know what to say to the other.

  
""How are..."

  
"Thank..."

  
They start talking at the same time, trying to erase the awkwars silence, but only making it more awkward in return. The knight is smiling shepishly at him, and merlin retur the knight smile with a gelntle one.

  
"Go on, you first." He say to the knight, while gesturing for him to sit in the chair beside his bed.

  
He settle himself in the chair, looking far more awkward sitting on the small chair than standing in merlin bedroom entrace.

  
"How are you feeling?" The knight is looking at him intensely, in his hands the wild flower is in danger of crushed under the knight tight grip. So merlin decide to save the flower.

  
"I'm good, better. Is that for me?" Merlin is gesturing to the flower and the knight looking at the small buch in his hand with a narrow eyes, as if he didn't know how the flower is in his hand on the first place. Then he nod awkwardly, giving the flower to merlin witha jerky moves.

  
Merlin smile at the the knight nervous behavior.

  
"Thank you" he look at the knight gratefully, a mist in his eyes. "For everything, not just the flower."

  
The knight is looking back at him with something unreadable in his eyes, then he nod with his head bowed.

  
After that, there is a lapse in their stitled conversation, the knight playing with his gloved hands and merlin with his flowers.

  
"We will be back to camelot today, at noon."

  
"Oh." Merlin didn't know what to do with that information.

  
"But i will be back,... probably."

  
Merlin is frowning at the hesistation on the man voice. "Really?"

  
The knight is looking uncomfortable for a moment, but then he seems to stell himself and looking determinedly at merlin.

  
"I already talking with your father before. I want to court you,.. properly." Then he adds "if you will have me."

  
Merlin stare at the knight, didn't know what to say to that.

  
"Well, that just ridiculous." The knight is looking shocked at his replies, then His face slowly showed sadness. But merlin keep talking, before the knight got the wrong idea "since i don't event know you name."

  
The knight stare at him, shocked. Probably only then realize that he never once told merlin his name, even though merlin know he must already know merlin name, hear them from his family.

  
The knight smile shyly at him.

  
"It's arthur, my name is arthur."

  
"Nice to meet you arthur, i'm merlin."

  
The knight shake his head, grinning from ear to ear, and merlin can't resist himself to grin at the knight too, even if it is hurting his bruised cheek.

  
"Is that a yes?" The knight.., no, merlin remind himself, it's arthur. arthur says.

  
"It is a yes."

  
Then slowly, as if he is afraid that merlin will reject him. Arthur touch his hand, and brong them slowli to his lips, kissing the fingers gently, making the omega blush at the gentle gesture.

  
"I have to go now merlin, but i will be back soon. For you."

  
===

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even remember when i write this. But i remember i write this for a multichaptered fic with a longer plot, but sadly, i can't remember anymore how it goes on from here. Maybe if i have the time i will continue this again, what do you think?


End file.
